The Hands of Fate
by WritelkeUmeanit
Summary: "You don't have to be strong right now, Emma. Just… please, be my daughter. Just for a minute. It's okay." (S2 Finale. Missing fluff in the mine! Charming feels!)


Here's a little something I thought up while re-watching the S2 finale. Just a missing scene I wish we could have seen. Hope you enjoy!

**The Hands of Fate**

The group rushed through the mines, Emma leading the way. When Emma turned the corner, she was the first to see Regina, whose eyes widened in shock.

"What are you doing here?" Regina demanded.

"You were willing to die to save us," Henry explained. "That makes you a hero. And now we're gonna be heroes."

David gave his grandson's shoulder a squeeze while saying, "we're gonna open a portal. Throw this thing into a void."

"No," Regina argued, her tone harsh. "You don't know that it'll work."

"We have to try," Snow insisted.

Regina held eyes with the woman that not too long ago, she wanted nothing more than to see dead. Now, things were different. The people who Regina had been feuding with for so long, they wanted to save her.

Snow gave a nod and a smile before Emma was backing away from the group. David ushered the rest of his family away from the scene, to safety.

As Emma backed away, she grabbed the satchel from her pocket and ripped it open. She shook it out over her waiting palm, but her face turned to confusion when nothing came out.

"Emma?" David question.

There was no way to spin it. No way to hide it. Emma turned around and said, "it's empty."

"But-" Henry went to argue.

Snow held tight to her grandson as she shared a look of worry and anger and fear with her husband, all the emotions wrapped up in a single glance.

For the briefest second, Emma thought, maybe the bean just fell out. They could go back and retrace their steps and they would find it. But quickly she realized what truly happened.

"Hook," Emma muttered.

Regina's body shook as she tried to keep control. But she felt her powers weakening, her body slipping. She looked up and said, "I can't contain this much longer."

Emma realized there was no way out. She looked to her parents, her expression that of a scared child.

Henry ripped himself from Snow and David's grip and barreled into Emma, throwing his arms around her middle. Emma didn't have time to brace for impact, but she reacted quickly, wrapping her arms around her son in a fierce hug.

"I can't lose you," Henry murmured as tears boiled in his eyes. "I just got you back."

Emma didn't bother trying to suppress her tears. She closed her eyes and put her lips to the top of Henry's head. "You're going to be okay," she said firmly.

"Not without you," he argued. "Lets run as fast as we can. Maybe we can get away," he said hopefully.

Emma shook her head while smoothing his hair from his face. "I'm sorry, Henry," she said, her voice breaking. Emma took a breath. She parted from Henry just enough to kneel in front of him and say, "I need you to do something for me."

Henry found her eyes as he wiped the tears stains from his cheeks.

"I need you to be brave. Can you do that?"

Henry gave a small nod.

"I need you to leave this place. Get away from Tamara and Greg. Don't let them find you. Just run, okay? This town will turn back into a forest. You need to keep going until you find the highway. Then you find an adult. Can you do that for me?"

"Okay, but…wha… what do I… say?" Henry asked through sobs.

Emma tried to keep her eyes from watering again, but she couldn't. He had no one else in this world. Whoever would find Henry would put him in the foster system, where she herself went through hell. Emma couldn't stand the thought, but there was no other way. She put her arms around her son and pulled him close. Henry put his cheek to his mother's shoulder and let the tears fall.

"Don't say a word about magic, okay? To anyone. Promise me."

"I promise," Henry agreed.

Emma gave him a squeeze while rubbing her hand across his back. "I'll always be with you."

"Will you… wait for me… in heaven?" Henry asked while trying to calm down. Through closed eyes, he made a wish to be asleep. For this all to be just a terrible dream that he could wake up from.

Emma nodded in agreement as more tears fell. "But you… Henry, you have to… you can't…" she chocked on her words, unable to continue on.

Snow couldn't stand being on the sidelines any longer. She shared a look with her husband, who nodded at her silent words.

With water pooling in his eyes, David approached his grandson and said, "come here, pal."

Henry turned to David's arms as Snow got on her knees in front of her daughter who was sitting on the ground.

"Mom," Emma cried in desperation.

Snow's heart melted at the word. She waited twenty-eight years to hear it. But it would be the first and only time.

Snow cupped her daughter's cheek in her hands and wiped away the tears.

"You don't have to be strong right now, Emma. Just… please, be my daughter. Just for a minute. It's okay."

Emma shook her head. "Why do we keep losing each other?"

"Oh, honey," Snow frowned. "I… right now, we have to have faith. We have to believe in a higher power. We have to believe that what is happening is what's meant to be… that whatever comes next, we'll be together."

"My son," Emma argued.

"I know," Snow agreed. She peaked over her shoulder to find that Henry was approaching Regina. "But sweetheart, your son is strong. He is smart. He's wise, beyond his years…All of this tells me that destiny is intervening. And his destiny will keep him safe."

Emma put her arms around her mother. From over Snow's shoulder, she looked to David.

"Dad," she called while reaching her hand out.

David wished he could rejoice in the sentiment, in hearing his baby girl call him by his true name, but it just made the situation that much more difficult to cope with.

David pulled his girls in for a hug. He looked to Emma and put a long kiss to her forehead.

"I've wanted to say this for a long time, but I didn't want to scare you or overwhelm you. But Emma, we love you."

"More than anything," David added.

"Love you, " Emma returned. She closed her eyes while holding tight to her mother's hand, her cheek pressed to her father's shoulder.

Snow kissed Emma's cheek. Then Emma looked around for Henry to find him being consoled by Regina.

"I love you, Henry," Regina cried. "I just wish I was strong enough to stop all this… I'm just not."

Emma's eyes widened at the words. She left her parents' grasp while looking to Regina.

"Emma?" Snow questioned.

"You may not be strong enough," Emma started, her stare on Regina. "But maybe _we_ are."

…. Alas, the rest is history…

_The End_

**Thoughts before you go? Please and thank you! Hope you liked! **


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